Seamus Walsh/Morgan Giles

[DavidWS]

Seamus Walsh built some boats in the mid-seventies with Morgan Giles hydraulic drives. I don't know much about Seamus Walsh but I think he is still around and makes windlasses and pins or something so maybe I should try to locate him. The Morgan Giles hydraulic drive allows the engine to be mounted transversly and so saves space and works just fine.

 

My boat, which I have had for 20years or so is one, but so far I have never come across another although I once saw one advertised, but then I don't often look at advertisements.

[John Orentas]

Don't know about Morgan Giles but hydraulic were quite the fashion at one time, one boat I used to see regularly around Worsley had the engine mounted below the front deck. A set of hydraulics for the job is always going to be expensive compared to a conventional gearbox set-up however even using renovated industrial hardware which I think many people did, the efficiency could not have been all that good either.

 

One of the many little advantages was that the engine could be mounted on very soft mounts, the only connection to the boat being a couple of flexible hoses though one area that had to be engineered properly was the fixing of the steel pipes running the length of the boat, probably using soft mounts they could transmit some drumming to the hull.

 

Around the time I was building my first boat I was involved in the ready mixed concrete industry, the mixer waggons at that time where fitted with a hydraulic pump on the front of the engine connected to a drive motor which powered the mixing drum, I used to stand stroking my chin admiring that elegant bit of kit thinking how easy it would be to adapt a 'missing' set of gear to my boat.

 

I never did bite the bullet but it would have made cruising very pleasant with the engine 40 - 60 feet away. An additional bonus would be for hydraulic bow thruster, generator and anything else you can dream up.

Edited August 27, 2005 by John Orentas

[DavidWS]

I saw an article in Waterways World a few years ago illustrating a boat with the engine in the bow for quietness and extolling the virtues of hydraulic drive.

 

Having got hydraulic power I used to muse on the idea of a remote control so that when travelling single handed I could manage the boat through the swing bridges and into locks with a box of buttons from the towpath. Not having the knowledge or the persistence to find out what to do I never got around to it but I believe someone is selling some sort of kit that uses some of this idea.

 

My engine is actually in the stern and the drive is not horizontal but through a vertically mounted leg with the hydraulic motor at the top and the prop coming off at right angles below so it goes down a sort of weed hatch. Waterways World ran an article on this arrangement in the mid-seventies. I think Morgan Giles, long since defunct, made drives for fishing boats. But as you mentioned John, the technology is well used in all manner of road equipment from road rollers etc.

 

I suppose it is really the combination of the Seamus Walsh and Morgan Giles boats I was hoping to come across just to find out how they have gone on and anything more of the history. I also wondered on Seamus Walsh's history as I was told by someone he used to work for John Piper which led him into building on his own at one point.

Edited August 27, 2005 by DavidWS

[John Orentas]

Yes it would be very easy to control using solenoid operated valve-gear, but for anyone thinking of such systems I know from experience hydraulics can be very expensive.

 

Are you thinking of David Piper ?

[DavidWS]

Sorry - Yes - David Piper. (John Piper is a painter/artist)

Edited August 27, 2005 by DavidWS

[fender]

There are a handful of boats around still with hydraulic drives. One hire company had its entire fleet converted to hydraulic drive. This was Claymore Navigation. Whether they still have any I have no idea. If you are at the IWA Preston Brook this weekend it might be a good time to ask them about hydraulics!

 

Someone pointed out to me that many narrowboats with prop drive shafts have little little ripples around their hulls when moored - whilst running their engines - which indicates the amount of vibration being transferred from the engine to the hull.

 

Obviously with technology improvements such as better engine mounts this is not so much of a concern. The only drawback I find with the hydraulics, as my own experience has been, is that the drive is slightly sluggish and so not as responsive to sudden throttle changes such as reversing when starting from cold.

 

There was an article in Canal and Riverboat extolling the virues of hydraulic drives.

 

Morgan Giles were based on the Oxford canal at Aynho, and their equipment was officially known as a Hydrostatic Marine Drive. I have some jpgs of their catalogue if you would like them. I really dont know about Seamus Walsh or if he worked with David Piper so perhaps someone else can help you there. Though it is interesting to know who built these boats as I always wondered about this.

Edited August 27, 2005 by fender

[DavidWS]

Thanks Fender. Never having had a boat without hydraulic drive except in prior times to use hire boats, I can't compare and haven't honestly noticed any drawbacks hot or cold. I'm told there is a slight loss of efficiency as the drive is not directly linked but I really wouldn't know. Seems OK to me. The only thing I notice is that my morse lever is maybe a bit 'stiffer' at the initial point of opening and closing the valve for forward and reverse. Maybe it is the way the cable runs to the valve but it is smooth and easy once the initial resistance is past.

 

I would be delighted if you were to send me the jpegs or stick them on a hosting site somewhere. Much appreciated. All info very welcome.

[John Orentas]

David.

 

If you fitted solenoid control to your valves you could replace your Morse control with a pair of little push buttons or a joy-stick (Maffi would like that)

[fender]

The hotelboats Snipe and Tarus hotelboats are one example who have hydraulics. The motorboat Snipe is driven by a Deutz with hydraulic drive (http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=26808)

 

I did a search for Claymoore navigation and Google tells me their logged cache (which cached an older vesion of the Claymoore website) shows Claymoore extoiling the virtues of their hydraulic drives. Despite this page missing on Claymoore's site I found another one about their hydraulics. http://www.claymoore.co.uk/narrow_boats.htm Their Beeston Castle boats were built in 2004.

Edited August 27, 2005 by fender

[Amicus]

I remember Morgan Giles as a famous yacht designer, I think.

[DavidWS]

I just typed 'hydraulic drive narowboat' into Google and got an archived thread from this forum. I haven't looked beyond yet but there seems to be quite a bit about hydraulic drives. Must have a proper look.

[fender.]

I just typed 'hydraulic drive narowboat' into Google and got an archived thread from this forum.  I haven't looked beyond yet but there seems to be quite a bit about hydraulic drives.  Must have a proper look.

28909[/snapback]

 

Please see this link: forum for hydraulic drive owners. Hope it'll prove to be of great value in exchange of information and ideas etc.

 

(PS I tried to call it the hydraulic canal boats site but the Google people werent having it because it had the word 'anal' in it!)

 

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/Hydraulic-Narrowboats

[mike_modelboater]

the trip boat i crew is hydrolic drive. the only thing we've noticed different really is things getting stuck in the prop, they break the pin on a direct drive, but no other action other than clearing the prop needed with hydrolic